The present disclosure relates to blood testing and blood sampling. Blood sampling is a common health care procedure involving the withdrawal of blood from a patient. Blood samples are commonly taken from hospitalized, homecare, and emergency room patients either by finger stick, heel stick, or venipuncture. Once collected, blood samples are tested to determine the physiological and biochemical states of a patient, such as disease, mineral content, drug effectiveness, and organ function. Blood tests are not commonly performed in the same room, the point of care, as the patient, but are usually performed at remote laboratories.
One common blood test is a test of blood glucose levels in blood. Blood glucose tests can be performed by drawing blood using a finger stick and then collecting the blood into a diagnostic cartridge or container. The diagnostic cartridge is transported to a testing machine or laboratory where the patient's blood glucose level is determined. Other blood tests commonly analyze blood gas electrolyte levels, lithium levels, ionized calcium levels, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE).
Blood testing is frequently necessary prior to surgery or other medical procedures. For example, there are indications that diabetes contributes to an increase risk of Surgical Site Infection (SSI). Accordingly some guidelines suggest that diabetes is one characteristic that may influence the development of SSI. As such, preoperative blood glucose control is deemed a possible SSI risk reduction measure. Thus, it can be beneficial to determine blood glucose levels prior to surgery.
Despite advancements in blood testing and diagnostics, blood-sampling techniques have remained relatively unchanged. Blood samples have traditionally been drawn using hypodermic needles, vacuum tubes, or catheter assemblies. In some instances, clinicians have been observed to collect blood from a catheter assembly by inserting a syringe needle through a septum in a catheter assembly and withdrawing blood from a patient through the inserted catheter assembly. These procedures utilize syringe needles and vacuum tubes as intermediate devices from which the collected blood sample is typically withdrawn prior to testing. Such processes are device and time intensive, each device adding to the time and cost of blood testing. Accordingly, there is a need for more efficient blood sampling and testing devices and methods.